After being told she looked ‘too naked’ to fly, influencer is now banned from a major gym chain

German influencer Edda Pilz is once again making headlines over a dispute involving her appearance, but this time it has nothing to do with air travel. Just weeks after claiming she was stopped from boarding a flight because she looked “too naked,” the 25-year-old says she has now been permanently banned from a major gym chain. According to VT, Pilz shared the news with her 552,000 Instagram followers after discovering her membership had been canceled.

Pilz, who is known online as Edda Elisa, said she realized something was wrong when she tried to enter her usual John Reed Fitness branch and found that her membership card no longer worked. She was denied entry before later receiving a letter informing her that she had been permanently banned from all John Reed Fitness locations except those in Switzerland.

However, the decision has sparked a public disagreement between the influencer and the gym chain. While Pilz insists the ban came without warning, John Reed Fitness says the action followed repeated violations of its house rules despite previous warnings. The disagreement has added another chapter to a series of controversies surrounding the influencer’s public content.

Turns out gym mirror selfies can get you into more trouble than expected

John Reed Fitness, which operates 48 locations across 12 countries, said Pilz repeatedly ignored its house rules. The company pointed to her filming and mirror selfies as a major reason for the ban, although it did not specify which rules she continued to break.

Pilz disputed that version of events. She said on Instagram that her membership was canceled “without notice” and suggested she believed another woman had been jealous of her. In a TikTok video, she also questioned the decision, saying she found it strange because John Reed’s own social media account has reposted mirror photos taken by other gym members.

Speaking to German outlet RTL, Pilz said she had always tried to be respectful while creating content inside the gym. She claimed she made an effort to avoid filming other people who might appear in the background of her videos or photos.

John Reed Fitness, however, stood by its decision. A spokesperson told RTE the company could confirm Pilz was dismissed without notice after repeatedly violating house rules despite having already received a prior warning. The gym chain declined to provide additional details beyond citing her filming habits. 

Gym etiquette has also become a frequent source of online conflict. We’ve seen a TikToker get into a dispute with another gym member over how long a machine should be occupied.

The latest controversy comes shortly after Pilz claimed she was stopped from boarding a Lufthansa flight because staff allegedly told her she had “nothing on” and appeared “naked” in the athleisure outfit she was wearing. She was allowed to board only after putting on a hoodie and zipping it all the way up. Airlines around the world reserve the right to deny boarding if a passenger’s clothing is considered offensive or inappropriate. This back-to-back string of incidents has kept the influencer at the center of online debate.